Do you really think the recycling on campus gets recycled? I heard the garbage and recycling just goes to the same place anyways…

 Have you ever heard a friend or fellow student say something like the statement above? My guess is yes. These rumors have been circulating around UW-Whitewater for quite some time. Many students believe the recycling bins around campus and other sustainability efforts are just for show, and that the university does it just to promote being sustainable even though they aren’t. Even students living off campus are sometimes suspicious as to whether or not recycling is even worth it. Whitewater, being a relatively small college town, seems susceptible to such false accusations.

To get the truth of the matter, I contacted John’s Disposal Service and asked them directly if collected garbage and recycling is separated, or if these rumors may have any merit.

Brent Flikkema, Sales Manager at John’s Disposal had this to say:

 I can absolutely and unequivocally state that this rumor is false!  Here is why!

1.) Separate trucks pickup the recycle dumpsters full of recycling.  It would not make sense to take this to the landfill when our recycling sorting facility is right here in Whitewater.

 2.) Johns must pay for the garbage that is brought to landfills by our garbage truck.  Because of that, our driver(s) and our company are very proactive in trying to reduce the amount of recycling that ends up in the garbage.

3.) Johns has been recycling as a company for many years…long before the recycle laws were put in place.  Our ‘single-stream’ recycle program is one of the most inclusive in the state.

4.) The materials that we collect from the University are sorted, baled and shipped all over the world to be used in making more consumer products. 

 I appreciate all the help in getting the rumors stopped and also to encourage everyone to recycle properly.

Please start spreading the rumor that there is still a lot of recycling in the garbage bags that people are throwing in the garbage.  This is actually true and would make a big difference in our landfills if it could be corrected.

It is clear that rumors about dumping all trash collected into the same area are false! Point number two really helps you understand that John’s Disposal is set to profit more when they have less recycling disposed of in their garbage, which in turn is incentive to promote recycling.

Make sure to keep recycling and encourage other to do the same!

Earth Week is only days away! The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will be kicking off Earth Week 2013 on Earth Day, Monday April 22^nd. The events will last through Friday, April 26^th. The UW-Whitewater Earth Initiative invites all students, faculty, and community members to participate in this week long celebration to support sustainability and environmental protection. Make sure to check out the events running throughout the week and get involved!

Take a look below and see what is going on during Earth Week to spread sustainability awareness throughout our community:

Race to Recycle

Where: University Center

When: Monday (4/22) 8:00am-1:00pm Tuesday (4/23) 8:00am-1:00pm

So you think you know how to recycle? Think again! In today’s day and age, the use of plastic has become commonplace in packaging. Race to Recycle is an activity designed to create valuable crowd engagement. Common recyclables are given to participants, who then must attempt to sort the recyclables into their respective recycle bins. Participants are rewarded with a sustainable reusable water bottle. Race to Recycle is a fun interactive game that was a crowd favorite at the recently held WellFest 2013.

Do One Thing (DOT) Campaign/ Sustainability Wall

Where: University Center

When: Monday (4/22) 8:00am-1:00pm Tuesday (4/23) 8:00am-1:00pm

The success of the Free Speech wall on campus is being transferred to sustainability. The UW-Whitewater Earth Initiative wants students to pledge one thing they are going to do to be more sustainable throughout their career at UW-Whitewater. Students will have the option to write on our Sustainability Wall, post on the Facebook Wall, or tweet us. It’s a new way for students to engage in sustainability.

Plastic Bag Collection

Where: University Center

When: Monday (4/22) 10:00am-4:00pm Tuesday (4/23) 10:00am-4:00pm

Plastic bags are regularly just thrown out, so S.A.G.E. has decided to take them off of student’s hands. During this event, S.A.G.E. will have a table in the UC to collect plastic bags. A person can receive one reusable bag for every ten plastic bags that he or she turns in. During tabling at this event, students and faculty will also have the opportunity to take a pledge to not use plastics for a day or two or even an entire week.

Do It for the Kids

Where: Roseman Building

When: Wednesday (4/24) 8:00am-2:00pm

Like working with kids? S.A.G.E. will be working with kids from the Local Whitewater Elementary School on ecological activities. These activities will help kids learn ways to be more sustainable like what types of trash can be recycled. This activity is great for education majors who plan on working with kids in the future as well.

The Eco-Workshop

Where: University Center 264

When: Wednesday (4/24) 1:00pm-4:00pm

S.A.G.E. will be hosting a fair in which people can learn ways to be more sustainable. There will be multiple booths set up to teach various tips and tricks. Students will be able to do everything from mending clothing to learning how to decrease their ecological footprint.

Recyclable Fashion Show

Where: Hyland Hall 1000

When: Wednesday (4/24) 4:00pm-5:30pm

This is no ordinary fashion show! In order to show support for Earth Week, our fashion show is a friendly competition among orgs to see who can create the best outfit made from everyday recycled materials. This competition will be held on Wednesday, April 24^th in Timmerman Auditorium (Hyland Hall 1000) at 4pm-5:30pm. Each group will have 30 minutes to design an outfit, made out of as many recyclable items. We ask that you please bring your own recyclables with you, in order to ensure you will have all the supplies you need to create your outfit masterpiece although we will have all supplies for putting them together and some recyclables provided. After 30 minutes, a member from each group will model the outfit in front of a panel of three “celebrity” judges. The judges will score the outfits based on creativity, use of recycled items, and overall appearance.  The selected winner will receive a prize! This fashion show is a great way to show your support for Earth Week, while having fun along the way!

Birds of Prey

Where: Outside University Center

When: Thursday (4/25) 10:00am-2:00pm

Wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important practice due to the negative effects of human activity on wildlife.  The Northern Illinois Raptor Center will be visiting the UW-Whitewater campus to not only talk with students about harmful effects on the environment, but also the BIRDS who are also affected.  They will be bringing birds to do demonstrations and provide a more sentimental view on sustainability and the environment.

Sculpture Contest

Where: Center of the Arts 2057

When: Thursday (4/25) 1:00pm-3:00pm

Students will be creating masterpieces out of what most of us would see as everyday trash. This will be interesting!

Movie: ”YERT”

Where: University Center- Summer’s Auditorium

When: Thursday (4/25) 5:00pm-8:45pm

The ecological movie “YERT” (Your Environmental Road Trip) is a movie about three friends who hit the road with the goal of using the least amount of garbage possible. This critically claimed, award-winning film is a must-see for anyone looking for a good laugh while learning great waste reducing tips.

Photo and Video Contest

Where: Whitewater

When: Monday-Thursday

See something awesome outside? Submit photos of anything outside involving nature or sustainability and the best ones will be on display on the big screen in Hyland Hall! Send your photos to: earthweekphotos@gmail.com

Green Team Clean-up

Where: Starin Park

When: Friday (4/26) 11:15am-3:00pm

Join S.A.G.E. members in cleaning up trash around and outside of campus. This activity is a great way for students to get actively involved in Earth Week while meeting a few new people along the way. It is also a great opportunity to pick up community service hours for graduation.

Imagine companies dumping waste wherever they wanted.  Imagine factories allowing black clouds of toxicity to spread like wild fire into the air we breathe.  Now, after taking a moment to come back from those horrible thoughts, be relieved.  Relieved that there was a man sensible enough to generate the idea of regulations to protect our environment.  That man was Gaylord Nelson.

Nelson was born on June fourth in the year 1916, in Clear Lake, WI.  He attended the University of Wisconsin’s Law program where he received his degree in 1942.  Gaylord began his political career running on a progressive Republican platform for a position in the state legislature.  Nelson lost his first race, but it was not enough to discourage him from trying again.

The next time Nelson ran, he ran on the Democratic platform for a position in the Wisconsin State Senate.  Gaylord Nelson served 10 years in this position until he became the governor of Wisconsin in 1958.  Once Nelson became governor, he developed a program entitled the Outdoor Recreation Acquisition Program.  The plan was to increase state-protected areas through a small tax on a pack of cigarettes.  How small you ask?  The tax consisted of a single cent being added to the total cost of a pack of smokes.  Gaylord Nelson’s tactics to support and encourage environmentalism didn’t stop at a penny tax.

Nelson is credited with the development of Earth Day.  For those who don’t know, Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day to further educate citizens on environmental issues.  Earth Day is a growing movement even known to extend so far as Earth Week.  However, when the original Earth Day was held, it was Nelson who made it work.  It was the 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools that participated in the event.  According to Nelson, “Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level.”

In a brief summary, Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson a Wisconsin State Senator and Governor.  The movement wouldn’t have worked if it hadn’t been for the participants.  This is a perfect example of how great ideas can spread like wild fires and ignite the minds of the people of the world.

On campus, for Earth Week, there will be a Recyclable Fashion Show held in the Timmerman Auditorium in Hyland Hall at 4pm on Wednesday, April 24.  Students will be designing outfits and accessories from recyclable materials and will then show them off on the runway.  Make sure to come out and show your support and even join the movement that is Earth Week.

Thank you for joining this week’s Conservation Conversation!

– Michael Jaworski

Bottled water is a big business.  It has been estimated that water bottle sales worldwide range between $60 and $100 billion.  These large sales are due to great marketing.  Bottled water is often thought of as the freshest, most healthy water one can drink.  It isn’t uncommon to see water bottle labels containing words such as, spring water or majestic alpine streams.  The copy seen on labels often reassures consumers that the water they consume is somehow much more pristine than the water that comes out of a faucet or drinking fountain.  However, bottled water isn’t so different from tap water as many think.  Most bottled water differs from tap because of the process used in bottling it.  Bottled water is run through large purification machines and then have minerals added to help with the “taste” of the water.  This minor point only goes to show that bottled water is hardly as majestic or pristine as marketers make it appear.

To shed some insight on the big business of bottled water, Elizabeth Royte will be coming to the UW-Whitewater campus on Monday, April 8, 2013 to lecture on “Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs and the Battle over America’s Drinking Water.”  Elizabeth Royte’s writings on science and the environment has appeared in many well known publications such as The New Yorker, National Geographic, Outside, and The New York Times Magazine.  Her first book, The Tapir’s Morning Bath: Solving the Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest, was awarded Notable Book of the Year for 2001 by The New York Times.  This lecture will be fun and full of insight on bottled water from a well-known writer.

Let us know what you think of the lecture on our Facebook page or Twitter.

Facebook: facebook.com/uwwsustainability

Twitter: @sustainable_uww

Thank you for joining this week’s Conservation Conversation.

– Michael Jaworski